These taste more buttermilk than my buttermilk pancakes, but there is no buttermilk in them. The secret? Sour Cream.
Rarely do I make a recipe 3x in one week, but this pumpkin pancake recipe turned out so amazing I couldn’t help myself. They’re light and fluffy and very flexible for different flavors and for whatever is in your cupboard.
For example, if you want to do wheat flour instead of white, or brown sugar instead of coconut sugar, go for it. If you want to use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon and nutmeg to make them even more fall-friendly, your breakfast eaters will thank you.
Stop me, I’m drooling. Especially if you add melted butter to your real maple syrup. They taste like that old-fashioned pancake recipe you begged your grandma for but she never gave up her secret. It was probably sour cream too.
The lovely thing about buttermilk, or in this case, sour cream, is the acid adds tenderness. Or, as Bon Appetit teaches in detail, “The acid in the buttermilk kickstarts the baking soda into action for extra height. It also helps to break down strands of gluten, leading to a fine and tender crumb. Additionally, it lends a subtle tang, exactly what we had in mind for our classic stack. There’s just no way to get fluffy pancakes without it.”
Bon Appetit is right, the acid is super important for fluffy pancakes, but it’s not the only solution.
Besides, buttermilk and sour cream, there’s another little secret on extra fluffy. Beat the egg white separately and fold in at the very end after all the ingredients have been combined. I did not do this for the photos so you can see what they look like in real life. Since I’ve done this for past recipes I can assure you it will create showstopping tall, fluffy, and whipped ‘cakes that will impress even the toughest audience.
This fall breakfast will fill your house with the scent of pumpkin spices and buttermilk pancakes, but won’t turn off the pickiest eaters. In my opinion, the pumpkin puree is light in flavor because of the sour cream. These golden brown cakes are very balanced in flavor.
Since I rarely have buttermilk in the fridge, I've created an even better way to get that tender crumb with extra fluff for this fall season pancake.
- 2 cups flour einkorn all-purpose is my favorite flour
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar or cane sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups milk add a little more if the pancakes stick or the batter is too thick
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In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together until blended.
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In a separate bowl, whisk the egg until there is a good amount of froth and air, then add the rest of the wet ingredients (milk, sour cream, pumpkin puree, and olive oil)
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Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and fold until combined. Some lumps are ok.
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In a large skillet, add just enough cooking spray or butter until the skillet is just covered.
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Do the sizzle test before adding batter: If a couple droplets of water sizzle when dropped into the oil, the pan is ready.
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Add 1/4 cup or ⅓ cupfuls of batter into the skillet or griddle.
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Flip the pancakes when the edges start to bubble and then cook until the pancake appears cooked through (the pancake will puff in the center typically).
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Serve with maple syrup. Enjoy!
Depending on which flour you use, you may need to add more milk. There should be a little 'spread' when you spoon the batter into the skillet. If it doesn't move, add a little more milk until it's a little thinner. I like to see about a 1/4 inch spread on the pan.
Fun fact about Einkorn flour: Though this is still an all-purpose flour, which means it’s de-hulled. Personally, I like it because it’s an ancient grain that’s never been hybridized. Wikipedia says, “Einkorn does contain gluten and has a higher percentage of protein than modern red wheats and is considered more nutritious because it also has higher levels of fat, phosphorus, potassium, pyridoxine, and beta-carotene.”
Therefore, I still consider this a more healthful option than your ordinary white flour. However, it is not a whole food since it is no longer a “whole” wheat since the husk is removed. This creates a really delicate texture that is similar to cake instead of the dense texture that comes with whole wheat flours.
If you’re a pumpkin pie lover, I admit, the amount of pumpkin flavor may be a little subtle in my recipe. Pumpkin Pie was always my dad’s favorite, but admittedly, not mine.
My love of pumpkin spice came about after adulthood and the life-changing experience of a pumpkin spice latte. This recipe is reminiscent of that with sugar and spice and everything nice.
Or perhaps my love came about from the memory of pancakes warming on the stove while my dad made hash browns, or perhaps my taste buds just changed over time.
Did you know? Our taste buds dull as we get older. I learned this after my friend was explaining to me why her kids could taste all these things that we were having trouble tasting. This will make it an even more amazing recipe for kids since they’ll get just a touch of that pumpkin flavor without them asking you why you stuck a veggie in their pancake. Similar to zucchini bread where all the flavor really goes into the cinnamon and spice.
Whatever the reason, these will bring your childhood tastebuds to life, and your kids will love them too.
My husband’s response to these pancakes was to help himself to a second helping. Then a third. Considering he doesn’t typically like pancakes for breakfast, this response was a reward in itself. Needless to say, these decadent pancakes have become a staple in our household.
Though I haven’t tried it yet, I’m curious if this recipe would also make a good waffle. If you try it, please tell me in the comments!
Next week I’ll be sharing another pumpkin pancake recipe, with a twist, and for all my readers that prefer gluten and dairy free options. Though the flavor is completely different (just wait to you find out the secret ingredient for those!), they’re so good and a great healthy alternative if you crave pancakes without having gluten flour.
Bon Appetit and Happy Fall!
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